Deep Blue
by Nelzi-poop
Summary: Bulma and Vegeta AU get together. Bulma is a mermaid who refuses to silently accept the future that would have been forced on her so she swims away from home. The uninhabited island she claims as her new home just happens to be the jaded Saiyan Prince's training territory, for when the Gravity Trainer is 'out of order'...
1. Prologue

**AN: Wow! My first Author's note. So exciting! Anyway, as you can probably derive, this is my first story (that I have the guts to actually post) and it's an AU, because the traditional '3 years' has been done to boredom in my opinion, unless you're a legend like niteryde, and not your average author wannabe like me.**

**So, in this story Bulma's a Mermaid and Vegeta is… well, Vegeta. Here goes nothing:**

Disclaimer: (Another first. Yay! *clears throat*) I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of the characters related to the anime in any way. They're all the property of Akira Toriyama and all those animation companies that brought it to life. I'm just borrowing them 'cause I love them.

Prologue

Bulma stared at her reflection in shocked horror. Her cerulean eyes shifting disbelievingly from the dusty rose pebble of soft skin exposed on her otherwise dark-scaled chest, to the single ultramarine scale she now held between her webbed fingers. The scale had, but a moment ago, been firmly secured to the crown of her right breast; and now –her life might as well be over.

The Mermaid had woken up with the most intense of chest itches and after furiously clawing at the scales found there, this had been the result: one scale –a single scale had been loosened and lost; and her befuddled mind took its sweet time digesting the monumental implications. From the corner of her eye she caught the reflected gaze of her twin sister, Marron. Her turquoise eyes were also fixed on the scale in Bulma's hand and were wide and with awe.

As a telepathic race, the Merfolk are also often sensitive to their fellowmer's emotions, and since the two Mermaids are as close as any pair of twins could be, Marron had easily sensed and was woken by Bulma's distress. Like Bulma, Marron had also immediately seen what was causing all the consternation, yet a quick peek into her sister's mind revealed joy and reverence and not the animosity that Bulma accosted it.

Sensing her sister's attention, Marron shifted her eyes to meet those of her twin and finally spoke:

'Oh, Bulma!' she squealed, 'Do you know what this means?' Bulma grimaced. Of course she what it meant, the losing of a mammalian mermaid's chest scales can only have one conclusion, she thought, and glared bitterly at her exposed nipple. She was to be a Breeder.

'No!' Bulma projected her vicious denial, though, not in reply to Marron's obviously rhetorical question. Marron's cheery disposition vanished and was replaced by utter confusion. She stared at Bulma with a troubled expression and Bulma soon felt the telepathic tendrils of her twin, probing at her shielded thoughts. Marron, was by no means a strong telepath and after a minute of futile poking she gave up with an exasperated sigh.

'I don't understand, Bulma! You've been endowed with the ability to reproduce. The great Neptune himself has lovingly blessed you!' she projected passionately .

Bulma, still glaring hatefully at the exposed skin on the apex of her right breast, laughed bitterly. She should have known that Marron would see it this way, what else can one expect from a palace priestess.

'It is more a curse than a blessing, Sister. I am a warrior, not a Breeder. I would die before I let myself be gang-raped and have my uterus abused at the whim of a bunch of greedy old farts!'

Marron's eyes widened, shocked at her sister's callous projected thoughts. She looked around fearfully for a moment, verifying the no-one was in radar distance so as to pick up her sister's seditious thoughts before returning an angry gaze to Bulma. 'You dare speak so rudely of the Queen's Council? That could be seen as treason!'

Another bitter laugh, 'What can they do to me, Marron?' she challenged haughtily. 'I'm the strongest warrior in the Queen's army – '

'They are strong too, Bulma.'

'They are old and feeble.' Bulma continued as if the interruption had not taken place. 'I am the seventh daughter of Queen'

'Eighth'

'Keep dreaming Marron. I was born first.'

'Says you' Marron griped.

'I am a General of her military forces,' Bulma went on, ignoring her sister, 'Captain to her Imperial Guard. Our people are awed and in fear of my ferocious reputation and cunning… ' she continued gloating, but was again interrupted by her Marron's mutterings: 'Yes, yes: Bulma the Bull shark, the powerful and courageous –bla bla bubbly bla.' Marron drawled , rolling her eyes as she had heard the very speech a thousand times over. Bulma frowned. There was momentary silence as the only things projected between the two telepathic creatures were emotions of stubborn resentment and teasing amusement.

'My point is,' Bulma continued loudly and Marron winced at the force of the interjection, 'The Council would not dare to put me in the ranks of the Queen's breeders-in-waiting. I'm too much of a military and political asset.'

Even as Bulma projected the thought, she knew she was only fooling herself. Marron knew it too, since Bulma felt her sigh.

'Bulma,' she started again, cautiously. 'You know if it is discovered that you are fertile, you will not be left as you are, _especially_ because of your high rank as a warrior. Don't you see? This is exactly why the great Sea God had blessed you with this gift! It's our tradition; only the strongest of the queen's breeding daughter's will one day ascend to the thrown and you're the strongest in the whole of the domain… The strongest one –' Marron trailed off softly. Suddenly her eyes lit with an epiphany –a truly astonishing feat since it was well known that Marron definitely was not the brightest anglerfish in the deep sea.

'The Prophecy!' The priestess shrieked excitedly,

**"When stars decide to touch the sea. Blue is called to blend with black. ****_The strongest one_**** must chosen be. The barren trident to bring back. A brown-tailed one with lilac hair. The golden crown he is to wear."**

By the time Marron was done reciting the Prophecy of their people her eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at her twin. This did not bode well for Bulma.

'Great. Just Great!' Bulma thought sarcastically, careful to conceal her thoughts. 'Now she thinks I'm some kind of foreseen Messiah. What the Kelp have they been brainwashing her in that damned temple?' If there was ever any hope that Bulma could have swayed her twin into assisting her in her to escape, her fanatical little speech had just dashed it. Nevertheless, Bulma tried again: 'Marron, there hasn't been a male heir in five generations. What makes you think that _I_ would change that?'

'I know you will. Why else would a great warrior like yourself develop fertility so far into your adult life?' Marron continued with unshakable faith. 'You're the strongest one –I know you are. Bulma, with you as Queen we can unite our broken Kingdom once and for all time. You will definitely be the one to give birth to the brown-tailed one, our long awaited King, oh this is so exciting –I must inform the Council.' Bulma shook her head, projecting all her frustration at her own twin's naivety.

'Marron, no! If I become Queen I, like our mother, will be forced to give birth every cycle for the rest of my life! I will never see a battlefield again. How could you possibly think I would be happy about this? I'm sorry Marron, but that is simply too much to bear… I'm not doing it.'

Marron froze, halfway through the door.

'I don't understand Bulma. Our city has waited 300 years for the you to appear –

'Who the kelp says that that stupid prophecy is about me anyway?' Bulma screeched.

'But.. you're the strongest.. The Prophecy says'

'Marron, the Prophecy is nothing but a myth; created to cover up the fact that the Queen's –our bloodline has been corrupted generations ago…'

'Sacrilege! Surely you don't believe that' Marron continued in an anguished whisper.

'Marron!' Bulma snapped, her wrath tangible. Marron cringed. 'Don't be stupid. Not one of this city's Queens or their breeding daughters have been able to produce a healthy male heir for hundreds of years now! Our rival Kingdoms have been exploiting this weakness and our city has suffered immensely, but ever since I've taken up the position of General we've been holding our own. I belong on a battlefield, Marron. I would only be wasting my life if I were to become the figurehead of this city.'

'What are you going to do then, Bulma? Are you going to hide this gift and deprive your own people of a better future?' Marron's snarled.

'Damn it, Marron!' Bulma snapped angrily, 'This is not some gift from the gods! This is nothing but bad luck!' she continued, clawing at her breast, for emphasis, wincing when more scales were being scraped off by her harsh nails. Marron cried out, sinking to the floor with her hands clutching her head and Bulma, realizing that she was causing her sister physical pain with her fierce emotional explosion, abruptly ceased screaming, reining in her anger until it was no longer projecting. With a light swish of her tail she was at her Marron's side, gently helping her upright. Then, in a more gentle manner added:

'Marron, I'm leaving. I'm not sticking around long enough for the Council to get their slimy hand on me. Being fertile is the worst thing that could have happened to me, but my soldiers are well trained and there are many strong warriors in my command who have great potential.' Marron was shaking her head in denial and finally let out a sorrowful wail. 'I've done a lot for this monarchy, but all I have done I have done willingly, because –let's face it: I'm not the self-sacrificing type… That said, I'll need you to me one last favour, sister..'

Marron glared angrily at her sister, which is probably to be expected. 'I can't believe you!' she replied, shoving her sister away from her. 'You betray us so carelessly and still you expect me to help you?' Marron was completely livid. 'It was worth a shot.' Bulma thought to herself with a sad sigh as she watched her sister storm from the room, the strong backlash caused by Marron's hastily exiting tail nearly spun Bulma in her place. She considered swimming after her, but decided the risk was too great. Marron's vision would clearly see her as the next Queen, which meant she could not be trusted to stay silent. With a defeated glance at her right breast, now even more bare because of her overzealous tirade, Bulma decided that if their were ever a time to escape, it would be immediately.

**AN: So, there you go. My first official attempt at unleashing my imagination. Hope you all like it and Review, because I REALLY need the motivation. Oh –also, I'm looking for a Beta.**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, I'm back. My four review were enough motivation for a noob, like me, to continue. Thank you very much guys. So, without further ado… read and REVIEW!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z or its characters… don't sue me.

Chapter 1:

After becoming of age, Bulma had to choose a career path. Yes, even princesses had to work. She decided to join the army. Not the conventional decision, since most of her sisters chose a career that would keep them close to the palace –like science and craft-making. Bulma's choice landed her in the soldier's barracks. An environment completely opposite to what she had grown up in. No one kissing your tail –everyone treating you as an equal –if not inferior. It was a tough adjustment, but also the most fun she had ever had.

She had always been in awe, watching her guards spar and train in the palace training facilities. She loved the annual Warrior Games that the royal family always attended, in which many of the soldiers competed to show off their power, skill, battle cunning. She had, after becoming a soldier herself, competed in said Games every cycle, working her way to the top ranks until she earned the honorific title 'Bull Shark' when winning her first Games a few cycles prior. The name had been attributed to her aggression, unpredictability and refusal to quit even when staring failure in the face. She had yet to be bested. Bulma knew she would miss her home, her city, that she had passionately fought to protect for many years, but the adventurous young mermaid within her simply would not let herself be turned into the Council's puppet. Leaving was her only option. She was a free spirit –always have been, always will be, and right at that moment, there were new horizons waiting for her.

Bulma considered seeking refuge in one of their allied cities, but decided against it. She wouldn't be able to conceal her identity. They would come for her. The Council was as delusional as her twin, they would _not_ rest until her tail was on their throne. Going into enemy territory was out of the question as well and that left one option that had Bulma feeling giddy and petrified in the same instant: the surface.

Land.

A taboo for Mer-creatures everywhere; but a possibility only for the Mammalian Merclan. The Eel- and Cephalopod-Merclans could not survive on the surface. They did not have dual-functional lungs like the Bulma's Merclan had, only the Mer-mammals had the capability to breath surface air.

Yet, there was cause for hesitation; Bulma had heard many horror stories of what the Land dwellers, the two-legged ones, did to their kind. It is all mythological though, she reasoned, since she had yet to meet the Mer-mammal mad enough to venture anywhere near _The Reef_, let alone Land… well, except the priests devoted to the Guardian on The Reef -they lived there...

Who was to say that she wouldn't be leaving one cage for another? 'Was it worth the risk?' she doubted.

Her hesitation lasted only a moment before her warrior-code kicked in, reprimanding her for her cowardice. 'Bulma the Bull shark will not be hampered by the fear of _rumors_ and _myths_!' she chastised, 'Besides, I have to survive the_ journey_ before attempting to survive the destination.'

This thought brought to mind the other major obstacle to a successful escape.

The journey to the surface is rumored to be even more perilous than Land itself. Besides the fact that one has to swim through an intricate underwater labyrinth of twists, turns and tight squeezes, which is all but impossible to navigate if one did not have a copy of the well guarded map kept in the Queen's treasury –and only the aforesaid priests had those; the path to the surface is also said to be guarded by a large serpent-like water dragon called the Imoogi. Most of these stories though, are of the type you tell to scare children into staying away and are not really based on facts. Some though, were usually true in some sense. Whether the legend of the Guardian Dragon is true or not remains to be seen.

According to their legends, the Imoogi was created by the Ocean God, Neptune, and was commissioned to only let ocean _animals_ pass through from the human world to the Mer-world and back. Any human or Mer-creature that was found in his domain was eaten. Apparently –this protects Mer-world from the humans, of whom it is said would destroy her world just as they are destroying their own.

Bulma's world was completely isolated from the surface –the human world. The only exception being one specific area – an enormous air pocket located at the bottom of a deep cavern. It filters in the only sunlight that their world ever receives, beaming it down from cracks and fissures in a thick rock-dome overhead. A territory unclaimed by all and highly respected and revered by every one of the many subspecies of Mer-creatures. It is said that in those shallow waters, marine life of all different types cohabit peacefully. It lay partly on an oceanic-, partly on a continental plate and sported the most beautiful and liveliest of reefs. '_The Reef'_ was a hub that connected all sea creatures: it had various tunnels –big and small –that lead down to each Merclan's deep-sea territory. There were many ways to reach it, but also many ways to get hopelessly lost and die while attempting to reach it. The map Bulma was now plotting on stealing was thus her only assurance of ever finding it. 'I would also need Marron's priestess garb' she added as an afterthought , already thinking of some twisted story she would spin the Imoogi-worshipping priests if they happened to catch her invading what they would probably see as sacred waters .

As for actually reaching the surface…

It is a known fact that The Reef also had one massive tunnel, twice the circumference of a Blue Whale, that lead to the surface –to her freedom –The Serpent's Pass. No Mer-creature would dare venture there for fear of being eaten alive by the Guardian and Protector of Mer-world: the Imoogi. Bulma, though, is not your average Mermaid. To the Mermaid-warrior-princess, her freedom was worth more than her life, and if a mermaid eating Dragon Guardian was what she had to pass to gain it –she would by all means do just that.

Bulma wasted no time in preparation for her escape. She quickly donned her armor, which successfully concealed her (now) almost bare chest. And swam to grab her most precious of possessions: her trident. A soldier's trident is the key to unlocking and channeling their life energy. With it she could fire powerful blasts of devastating or invigorating energy that could either kill her enemies or re-energize her allies. Its trio of sharp blades also made it perfect for hunting and close combat. As Captain of the Royal Guard, she was also one of the few who could use her trident to manipulate the flow of water around her into raging torrents or violent cyclones. Her trident was like an extension of her own body, of a much higher quality than a common soldier's, it stood about a tail and a half in length (**AN: A tail is a unit I made up, it's roughly 6 feet long)** and was made purely of silver. She sheathed it neatly by twisting a ring just below its head and watched in slide into a compact quarter-tailed rod before clipping it to the holster on her side.

Bulma threw all the other necessities into a average sized sling bag: some vanity products (that a Mermaid simply cannot do without), a stolen priestess robe and its matching accessories, along with a small amount of food and money. She quickly braided her long teal tresses and pinned it into a tight bun, then grabbed a plain looking long hooded cloak and made off for the Queen's treasury. A wily escape plan already churning in her mind.

'The Queen wishes for me to retrieve one of her treasures for my sister's coming of age celebration tomorrow.' She stated boldly, upon reaching the guarded doors. It was a risk, if Marron had already reached the Council then the whole Royal Guard would have known by now and would have moved to apprehend her. Especially if her twin informed them of her escape plans. It was a calculated risk though, since she was almost certain she could have easily subdued the two soldiers floating before her. As for her excuse to enter the Royal Treasury in the first place –she was simply and very cleverly manipulating her circumstances to suit her end. It is common knowledge that her mother, the Queen, chose an item out of her treasury for each of her daughters' coming of age gifts, her own had been a beautiful pearl and sapphire headdress with the biggest gem designed to dangle tastefully on her forehead. Bulma was currently dressed in her everyday Royal Guard ensemble, she had stashed her hooded cloak in one of the rooms on her way to the Treasury –her overall appearance should have warranted no suspicion. The two guards posted at the treasury door thus had no hesitation in allowing her access.

Bulma quickly found what she was looking for: a large brown-cover book that lay closed on a podium in the middle of the room. This ancient book held the histories and myths of her people and carefully documented bloodline of her family. This was the book she was seeking, yet could not access. It stood heavily shielded by a transparent energy field, the energy is supplied by the Queen herself as was their tradition for centuries. Luckily, each queen had The Book copied for the general use and instruction of each generation of royal offspring so that their heritage would not fade away. The copy, Bulma knew, would be in the secret (to all but royals) library in the far right corner of the room and after quick search in the miniature library she finally had what she was searching for.

The mermaid took a quick glance around, making sure that no one was in her immediate vicinity before quickly tearing the map from its place. After a bit of curious skimming, she gathered the page about the legendary Imoogi too, rolling it together and stashing it in her bag. She bid a quick goodbye to the guards at the door upon exiting and swiftly swam on toward the next phase of her plan: the servant's quarters.

As Captain of the Royal Guard, Bulma lived in the palace and when swimming through the palace halls, one was either on duty –where in Bulma's case, she would be fully armed like as she was, or one would be on leisure time: No armor no trident and wearing the finest of her precious-stoned accessories. Naturally, Bulma had grown up being spoiled rotten, as was expected. She was constantly showered with the most expensive and beautiful jewelry accessories and other vanity products. She had even had her bellybutton, nose and ears pierced as was the custom among the Queen's many daughters. From headdresses and hair-accessories, necklaces, earrings, nose-rings, belly-rings, belly-chains, bracelets and rings; to finely woven cloaks and embroider veils and scarves. Breeding mermaids, which made up 30% of the female population, would wear intricate breast-covering and decorations made up of shells and precious metals. Outside the palace, the common folk would usually accessorize with things handmade or made up of much less expensive materials, it is rare when one would see a Mermaid not wearing any accessories –common or noble. Bulma's conscious decision to wear armor in stead of jewelry assured less attention from the media if she was to leave the palace gates, and thus – less speculation about her inevitable departure from the city.

After setting down her cloak and sling bag, Bulma concealed herself bedside the entrance of the servant's quarters lowering her life energy until her bio-luminescent features emitted a less noticeable glow. Bulma's race lived in waters hidden deep inside a labyrinth of underwater caves. Her world was completely devoid of sunlight, and the only immediate light to be found in the that dense darkness came from her their own bodies. The external sources of light that illuminated their surroundings were organic lanterns made up of captured light-emitting deep-sea creatures. These creatures were easily attainable. They were bred or captured wild on a daily basis. As Bulma hid next to the door of the servant's quarters, she made sure to keep her glow was lower than that of the nearest lantern –a skill no Mer-mammal but the most accomplished of warriors could achieve.

Bulma's city was situated deeper than many marine animals would travel, mainly for the access of bio-luminescent creatures that lit up her world, but also for the its naturally fortified location. The strategic benefit of living somewhere that prevented large-scale attacks from enemy clans, Bulma guessed, could also have played a vital roll in the choosing her city's location, since it is a benefit that Bulma had taken full advantage of when strategising battles.

Right then, a servant exited the room, before she could swim too far Bulma caught her arm. The girl started, dropping the tray she was carrying. It floated down to land noiselessly on the stoned palace floor. The mermaid swiveled and her eyes widened when she realized who had stopped her. Bulma could pick up the ill-concealed fear and wonder, along with many other mixed emotions the mermaid before her felt in that moment. Bulma quickly reassured the girl, since fear was fast overwhelming all her other emotions, the longer she held on to the girl's arm. Understandable, since Bulma probably looked very intimidating in that moment in her complete suit of armor and trident.

'What's your name girl?' she asked.

'Orcana, my Lady.' she replied submissively.

'Well, Orcana, I need you to do me a favor.' Once again her surprise was evident on her face.

'Anything, my Lady.' Bulma rolled her eyes.

'Stop with this my Lady nonsense, girl. From henceforth you shall refer to me by the title Princess Bull Shark.' Bulma said sharply. The surprised girl immediately started apologizing profusely. Bulma watched in amusement for a while until she couldn't help but letting out a good natured chuckle.

'I'm just messing with you, Orcana.' She said with a bright smile and the shocked mermaid froze, before Bulma felt her relax a bit and a tiny smile lit up her face. Good, Bulma thought, nervousness equals sloppiness and Bulma couldn't afford any slip-ups.

'Alright, Orcana. I need you to go to the store and get something for me.' She addressed the servant. Orcana nodded. 'Now this is very important,' she continued 'I want you to get a breast-piece for me.' As Bulma made her request the girl frowned in confusion, as expected. Time to work her magic, Bulma thought.

'Don't look at me like that girl, this is for a gift. If I told you to whom is intended, well –I'd have to kill you since that is classified information.' The girl nodded sternly, and Bulma discerned that the servant had a fine sense of duty, which would be perfect for what she would request next. Bulma smiled in a reassuring manner before adding, 'I'm just jesting, girl… though it _is_ supposed to be a surprise.' Bulma made as if she was carefully contemplating something, then went on: 'Oh, what the kelp. I might as well tell you, but you must promise not to inform anyone of the reason behind this commission.' The servants eyes shone with reverence, and she nodded enthusiastically. Bulma had her just where she wanted her, she obviously feels too honored to compromise on her promise. Going in for the kill: 'One of my young sisters, Marina, has confided in me that she is shedding her chest scales. She is going to announce her fertility on her coming of age celebration tomorrow I want to surprise her with a beautiful breast-cover… I would go myself, but being as renowned as I am, If I were to leave this palace dressed in anything but my armor the media would be on my tail like sharks who have smelt blood. Nothing I do would escape their notice and my surprise would deflate like a defeated blowfish. As you can see, I'm in quite a dilemma.'

'You can count on me, my Lady.' Orcana piped up confidently.

'Good. Now, I'm entrusting you with this bag. It has sufficient funds within.' she said, handing the servant her sling, 'Also, wear this.' She gave her the cloak to put on. I will meet you on the other side of the market, where I will retrieve my items. As the girl swam off, Bulma could but hope that the Council would be having a busy day and that her twin would have some trouble reaching them, but as her sister is a priestess and thus holds a respected position in court, she wouldn't bet on it.

**AN: My first update: Yay! Love it? Hate it? Tell me about it by clicking 'Review'. Forgive any grammatical and spelling errors –I still don't have a Beta. Also –don't fret fellow V/B fans–I'll be introducing our favorite grumpy prince in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Yay! Another update that's on time. As y'all have probably noticed I'm aiming for a weekly update... but I'm back at varsity since this week so pray that I keep it up.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball z or its Characters; I really wish I owned Vegeta, though..

Chapter 2

Despite her worries, Bulma made it off palace grounds with relative ease, acquiring nothing but a few raised eyebrows as she left the main gate. It is well known that the Captain does not leave often, but, as Bulma expected she encountered no restrictions; which meant that the Council had yet to be informed of Bulma's… condition. The beautiful teal-haired mermaid set off on her slightly detoured route to the shopping district. Detoured, since she preferred the quieter back-alley ways instead on the busy mainstream roads where she would be stared at and gossiped about. Even if she weren't famous and royal, she'd still be able to turn heads. She was a gorgeous specimen and she knew it. In Mer society, one's physical appeal was often attributed to three things: fertility, body-shape and the luminous scale-pattern unique to every Mer. The more intricate and symmetrical the pattern, the more attractive that made a Mermaid (or man). Like all Mer's, Bulma's cobolt-coloured eyes emitted a faint glow, bright enough to illuminate her path, but not too much so to prevent other's from seeing her natural blue eyes. The scales on her chest and tail were mostly ultramarine and depending on how the light reflected off her scales, it would glint in hues from neon green and emerald to the lightest of lilacs and amethyst. Bulma was what one would call a tri-color, a trait unique to the royal line. Her glow-scales, that created her illumen-pattern, shined a searing silver, and was intricately laced into her sapphire-coloured base scales. Her illuminated pattern swirled and spiralled up the sides of her tail and across her chest-scales. Well, it used to until she started loosing them. Her teal hair was highlighted with light-emitting streaks as well and her tail and chest contained just the right amount of blubber to fill her powerful body quite nicely, creating that voluptuous finish without it being overbearing. All in all, she was one of the Queen's most beautiful daughters and that fact, along with her being unattainable (due to her, up until recently, infertile state) also contributed much to her current fame.

As Bulma traveled through the city, she schooled her features with a determined and indifferent mask and kept a pace brisk enough to ward off any interruptions. She knew her presence was an unusual sight, but she was a fish on a mission, and made sure everyone around her could see it. It was only upon actually entering the shopping district, that she started becoming uneasy. People stopped what they were doing to watch her pass, softly speculating among one another. She needed to find that servant Orcana, and fast -she could get her cloak back and blend in a bit better. She could sense herself gaining a couple of tails, trying to be inconspicuous –the media. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She would have to loose them, she decided.

Still moving along swiftly, her thoughts occupied with plans of escape and worst case scenarios, Bulma was almost taken off guard, when a hand reached out to grab her arm. Acting on instinct she swivelled and swung her trident –that she unclipped and unsheathed mid-spin –to ward off the unauthorized contact, only for her trident to clang loudly against another's. It took a split second for her to realize that the other trident belonged to one of her oldest friends and lieutenant in her ranks: Ray.

'Jumpy much, Bull Shark?' he teased.

'I am not. You know better than to sneak up on me when I'm on a mission, Barracuda.' She snipped, also addressing him by his arena title. 'You're lucky I didn't blast you where you float.'

He laughed, 'Sneaking? I did no such thing –you, my dearest General, were _distracted_.' He tutted, 'Rookie error, might I add.' Bulma pouted and her companion chuckled.

'So, what brings you to this part of town?'

'I told you, I'm on official palace du-'

'Cut the kelp Bulma, you're never on official business this far out. So..' he interrupted confidently. Bulma sighed, sometimes she forgot how sharp most of her soldiers were –living with her ditz of her sister and all.

'Okay, Ray, you got me.' She admitted in a defeated manner. 'I'm actually here getting something for Marina's coming of age party.'

'What? No way –you don't shop!'

'Of course not –I'm a busy fish. I send servants to do things like that.'

'Then why-'

'Because it's Marina. It's not just _any_ sister –I have to make sure my baby-girl's gift is perfect. So I've arranged to meet my servant on the other side of the shopping district after she was done.'

'Kind of defeats the purpose of not coming here in the first place.' He muttered, offering a lame shrug. 'No matter though, we haven't spoken in ages so I can use this to my advantage.' He added slyly.

'Oh really?' she asked, cocking one of her eyebrows in an amused fashion.'

'Yeah… Now you get to have a drink with the wonderful and awesome Barracuda – you must feel so honored.' He sniffed arrogantly. Bulma laughed. 'As much as I would love that,' Bulma started, putting much effort into concealing her sadness. 'I can't –I'm on pretend official business remember? Armor?' She stated, gesturing to her attire, 'and with the media already on my tail I really can't afford the added burden of bad publicity. Ray nodded, disappointed, but understanding. It is what made him such a good friend and soldier too. Talking to Ray, Bulma was once again reminded of how many of her friends and loved one's she would be leaving behind and found herself wondering if it was all really worth it. Before she could think to deeply on her decision to escape, the warrior-mermaid resolved that it would be best to get out fast, she could feel her mental shield being overwhelmed by her emotions and if she let anything slip at that crucial moment it would have been beyond bad, not to mention that it would only be a matter of time before she would have the whole monarchy out searching for her. She had made up her mind, she chastised herself, and a couple of goodbyes might be a hard price to pay for freedom, but it was definitely worth it.

'I have to go Ray, wish me a successful 'mission'.' She said with a wink, adding a quick embrace, before swimming off, leaving her friend staring wistfully after her.

Vegeta glared distastefully up into the night sky, his lips parting in a vicious snarl to reveal a row of perfectly white teeth, most prominent of them being his overdeveloped incisors. It had been three weeks, he thought bitterly. Three weeks and his blasted –literally –Gravity Training Chamber had still not been repaired. Granted, he was the one who blew it up in the first place in one of his overzealous training sessions, but damn it that idiotic, scatterbrained Doctor sure took his sweet time with its reconstruction. Meanwhile, he was stuck wasting his time with menially light training on one of the planets many uninhabited and completely wild and useless islands. He could not even leave since his only ticket of the 'kami-forsaken mudbull' as he'd like to refer to it, was said Gravity machine that he had destroyed three weeks prior. Even worse: he could not even waste the pathetic life-forms that inhabited the planet as Kakkarot would be on his ass with a swiftness that would make even Zarbon seethe with envy.

"Kakkarot" Vegeta spat venomously. The mere thought of the human-wannabe filled the Saiyan prince with a clawing rage that could only be subdued with the third class's blood. Vegeta, for the millionth time, wondered how it was even possible that the proverbial runt of the Saiyan litter could have managed to attain the Legendary –the Super Saiyan –with minimal of effort while the Saiyan prince himself, who had nearly been killing himself for months on end, could barely touch it. Therein lie the root of Vegeta's frustration: he had been close. So close to the transformation, he could feel that well of untapped power bubbling up inside of him, ready to explode like a geyser… the only thing that ended up exploding was the Gravity machine. After regaining consciousness in the infirmary three days later and in light of his recent almost-achievement; the prince had, naturally, been itching to continue with his maniacal training regime, eager to find out how much of a power jump his near death experience had gained him. Well, the rest, as the humans say, is history. Vegeta had decided, upon discovering that he would be without the Gravity Training Chamber for a while, that the best environment for training would be somewhere he could blow things up without worrying about Kakkarot sticking his nose into his business. Needless to say –the majority of the previously lush island the Prince had chosen for his training territory was now scorched and cratered beyond recognition.

From his reclined position on a bed of sea sand, the fire crackled restlessly beside him, illuminating the skeletal remains of his earlier dinner as well as his hastily erected –or rather 'decapsulated' shelter. Vegeta smirked, knowing the right people definitely made a difference. Vegeta had been introduced to the Briefs couple and their revolutionary inventions shortly after his accidental resurrection. After an epic and fatal battle with the his tyrannical overlord on planet Namek, Vegeta had suddenly found himself on the green-grassed, blue skyed planet Earth; sitting under a tree as if everything was just flowers and sunshine. At first he thought that the big red guy at the check-in desk in the afterlife had made a mistake; accidentally sending him up and not down. Especially since he found himself surrounded by the some of the peace loving green folk of whom he himself had a part in slaughtering in his hunt for the dragonballs. Such thoughts had quickly been shoved aside as he listened to the earthlings discussing the fate of planet Namek, Frieza and the recently turned Super Sayan, Kakkarot. Safe to say that Vegeta had not been happy, but this time he did not wallow in self-pity as he had on Namek when he begged Kakkarot to avenge their people and planet –crying like a newborn cub. Vegeta grimaced, the humiliating memory still and probably always would leave a bad taste in his mouth until the day he reclaimed his destiny and pride and finally bested that goody-two-shoes that called himself a Sayan. No, Vegeta thought resentfully, there would be no time for mourning the ill turn of event that that vindictive bitch –Fate –had bestowed on him. He had decided to resume his training, patiently biding his time until Kakkarot's return, and then he would challenge the bastard and reclaim his former status as strongest Sayan alive.

It was the bald midget that had made the request for the off-worlders be granted accommodation at Capsule Corporation until their planet could be restored by the Dragonballs. He was off course referring to the Namekians, but it was at that moment that the blonde bimbo –whom he had later discovered was the doctor's wife – spotted the Sayan Prince. It took all of his will-power not to blast the idiotic woman where she stood for daring to lay her filthy hands on his royal person; gushing words like 'handsome' and 'rugged'. Though, it didn't take much to convince him that accompanying the grossly mismatched pair and refugee Namekians back to their residential abode would be very much to his benefit. Very much to his benefit indeed; what with the doctor carrying on about his Gravity Training Chamber that he had apparently invented for Kakkarot's use on his way to Namek and the woman's (who had still been clinging to his arm like some mutated leech) insistence on preparing him a meal. The Earth fighters, convinced that their hero had not survived the destruction on Namek, had decided to resurrect Kakkarot as soon as the two sets of Dragonballs were recharged and that gave Vegeta about 5 Earth solar months to prepare. Of course, when it was time to make the wishes it was discovered that the Super Sayan had survived after all…

That was about the time when Vegeta stole the gravity machine to start his year long fruitless search for the wayward third class, returning for refueling only to find that his not-dead, but mechanized lizard-master was on his way to blow their collective asses sky-high for the insult dealt by earth's special forces, especially the still MIA Super Saiyan. Imagine Vegeta's horror –as he had been fully prepared to die bravely (once again) in battle as a true Saiyan should –when some monstrosity with purple hair that claimed to be Saiyan (and turned golden as proof) showed up and wasted the two ice lizards in a matter of seconds. Why does the universe hate him so much, he wondered for the utmost's time.

The rest was all a blur of time travelling, golden Saiyans flaunting there legendary strengths and android warnings that apparently meant the end of the world as they knew it in three years. He honestly could not care less what happened to the planet, all that stood out for him was that these two tin cans were supposed to end his life in three years time and he would be double damned (since he's already damned once) if he lets a piece of machinery be the end of the him: the Prince of All Saiyans. So he trains, yet not for the preservation of some mudball planet like Earth's moronic forces. No. He trains for the only thing left worth fighting for in his blood-stained life, since his honour is a long time gone; dead by Frieza's had, buried by Kakkarot's –his Saiyan Pride.

And once the battle is over and his Pride is saved, he will fight for the resurrection of said dead honour by methodically beating the shit out of Kakkarot before mounting his head on a spit.

First things first, though, he needed to become a Super Saiyan. With this thought, the jaded prince stood –now rested and his massive appetite well sated – and resumed his masochistic training regime once again.

Vegeta froze, midway through one of his katas. His brows furrowed as he honed in on the momentary flare of ki he had sensed in his immediate vicinity. _No_, he thought, _not 'immediate' –still far off. Moving towards him –quickly… Coming from… below? _If it weren't the fact that this **sentient** energy he sensed so briefly seemed so bizarrely **powerful** –compared to that of an average human, of course –Vegeta doubted he would have detected, much less pay any mind to it. As is, he found the development intriguing, this creature that seemed to be heading in his direction from the depths of the ocean had a power level on par with the human Z-fighters of earth. If it weren't for the fact that he had already become familiar with each of Earth's Z-fighters' kis, he would have pegged the energy to be one of theirs. Curious, and not in the least bit alarmed, the Saiyan Prince made his way over to the general area where he sensed he would encounter this being, that is –if it kept moving in a similar direction as it currently was. He hovered above the island, his senses focused on the erratic spikes and dips he felt in this 'person's' ki as it spiraled its way up to the water surface. It took but a moment for the Saiyan to identify the reason for this anxious flaring: this creature was being followed.. no, chased, he guessed, by a stronger, more beastly energy. At that moment, the water began to swirl into the beginnings of a twister and the sky darkened with thunderclouds. The prospect of the impending violence that he was sure would accompany the revelation of this mystery-being sent a pleasant chill down his spine. The slight twitch in the corner of his mouth was the only indication of his swelling interest in this conundrum of events.

He watched, as if in slow motion, the silver three-pronged spear burst through the torrents and his breath hitched in his throat when he could finally identify the creature who held it. 'Blue' was his first coherent thought when seeing her. 'Beautiful' was the second. Water-slicked dark-teal hair clung to the side of her face, her Sapphire eyes burned with determination and desperation as she propelled his self from the helix of water and … suddenly his mind went blank as he traced her armor clad form down to her, what he previously thought had been a dark blue glittering fabric that clung wetly to her voluptuous hips and legs. She shot from the waters at such a velocity that her body was completely revealed and only now could Vegeta identify the glistening ultramarine for what it really was: scales, fish scales. For a fraction of a second Vegeta thought that a fish was latched onto her legs, already having swallowed the lower half of the blue-haired beauty, but Saiyan sight was sharp and Vegeta quickly reassured himself that he was indeed seeing a human-looking woman with the lower body of a fish, there no time to dwell on the strangeness of the creature as the cause for the desperate look in her eyes and the fiercely determined snarl on her face made itself known.

**AN: There you have it the first unofficial encounter. **

**Insert dramatic cliffhanger music here**

**What Vegeta will do when he sees what Bulma is up against.. what will Bulma do? What exactly is it that's so hot on our little blue warrior's tail... Find out on the next installment of DRAGON BALL Z FANFICTION: DEEP BLUE. **


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry this chapter took so long to come out. Varsity has been sucking the creativity from my soul! I was suffering from terrible writer's block –who wouldn't –when you're forced to think calculus and transforms and vectors fields and systems and signals and programming for three week straight?! Absolute madness I say, but I hey, I chose the career I guess. Then I just had to go and get the flu and my computer just had to go and die on me… It's a miracle it's even working now. Anyway, I'm rambling –here's the chapter.**

Chapter 3

After retrieving her belongings, along with a brand new breast-cover, Bulma donned her cloak, pulled the hood up and continued on. She swam briskly until the end the industrial area then right through the slums to reach the outer wall. Afterwards, it was only a matter of slipping discreetly through the main gates alongside the flow of travelling merchants and visitors constantly moving through. With her identity neatly hidden by the long cloak, no one paid her much notice, and her journey was rather uneventful within the well-travelled channels that stretched between their allied waters.

According to her map, though, Bulma would have to leave the Mammalian domain and pass through the Eelian-territory. Her current course would take her into what the map refers to as the Redemption's Pass. She recalled from Eelian Merfolk traditions, that the Mer-eels were the guardians of this passage way –and would grant anyone seeking 'redemption' –as it were –access to it impartially. This pass lead one into a shark infested cavern called the Sharks' Den. If she could manage to get through that safely, it would be a short swim to The Reef. Once there, she'll reassess how to proceed. With her path well in mind, Bulma used the long swim through the hub-stuctured cave she had just entered to meditate, once again, on her reasons for leaving and her reasons for continuing on when the chances of success seemed so small.

Being a sensible mermaid, Bulma could acknowledge that her current course was completely illogical. Her destination was shrouded in mystery and legends; having absolutely no factual foundation. Her journey would most likely cause her death and her reason for leaving was petty and egotistical. Even the notion that Mammalian Merfolk could survive on Land was never actually proven –just stories from her childhood. Considering all the aforementioned points, she should have high-tailed her way back a long time ago. Her ambitious journey simply didn't make any sense… And yet, Bulma felt herself unable to stop; unable to turn back, there seemed to be this nagging feeling deep within her soul, that was constantly pushing her forward –logic be damned. It felt right –she needed to take this course.

Thus, the determined mermaid continued on, all the while thinking of ways to convince the gateway guards to allow her onto the pass that led firstly into the wilderness and inevitably into enemy territory.

She was currently moving through a large cavern, much like the caves cities and towns were built in, except that this cavern had many exit-tunnels and fissures that could be found in the surfaces of its walls. It functioned like a great traffic hub: some of the its tunnel-branches were Merfolk-built, but the majority of them were naturally formed. Some lead into allied cities and some into the agricultural sites, from where her people harvested all the raw materials they needed to sustain their society –foods were collected in the shallows and metal and gems in the deeper waters, close to the volcanic ores coming from the earth's core. Then there were also tunnels that were pathways into the wilderness, where colonies of bandits and hostile rural tribes ruled supreme. Such tunnels were always gated and fortified by a military base in close proximity to it. The base's primary objective being to prevent any and all unauthorized exits and entrances, which, suffice to say, would present a problem to the fleeing mermaid. If it weren't for the fact that she was currently keeping a low profile; she might have pulled military rank to gain access to the outside dominions.

She knew that all exits were diligently guarded, though, and none but an enemy attack would distract those soldiers from their posts. Bulma was thus left with one –very unpleasant –option. An age old diversion tactic: terrorism.

As stealthily as she could manage, and with her energy so low her bioluminescence was barely detectable, Bulma swerved for the base with the perfect target in mind: The armory –isolated enough for a relatively easy access and minimal collateral damage, and also significant enough that they'll all come swimming when it eventually went boom. Being no stranger to covert operations, the six guards Bulma quietly knocked out and stashed proved to be a minor and she thus reached her destination with little difficulty. Once there, she decided to grab a few toys that might come in handy on her journey; and then, taking a deep breath, she called on her power, using her trident to form it into a stable sphere of heavily compressed, bright-blue energy. Stretching her control to its limits, she made her way to the exit, keeping the ball of volatile energy floating steadily in the weapons room. Unfortunately, with her using all her concentration for controlling the highly destructive nature of her energy-ball, Bulma's power-level, and 'glow' was back to its original intensity, and when the sudden,

'Hey you! What the are you doing in here' of a nearby patrolling officer tore through her mind, the only reply she had time for before it all blew sky high was:

'Oh Kelp'

When the blackness finally faded, Bulma found herself floating limply on a pile of debris. A glint of silver in her peripheral told her that her trident was not far behind and all around her soldiers were swimming to and fro about the newly destroyed building. It was the perfect time to slip out, it seemed, if it weren't for the fact that her senses have yet to return to her completely. The next thing she knew, she was being yanked upright by her arm and by reflex twisted out of the person's hold and manoeuvred him/her into a arm-lock. When she regained enough of her bearing to assess her situation, four tridents were pointed threateningly in her direction from all around her.

_Kelp… so not my day_

She grudgingly let freed the poor mermaid from the painful lock and raised her hands in a submissive manner. It was then that her ripped cloak revealed, not only her armor, but her Royal-hued tail as well.

Things were _so_ not going as planned… and Bulma was fresh out of clever solutions

'Ge- ge –General?' came the timid appeal from the black haired mermaid she had just freed. Still, having no way to salvage the situation, Bulma naturally resorted to what she was most notorious for: She ranted:

'What the hell are you all floating about for?!' she suddenly demanded with all the authority her status and rank afforded her. 'Shouldn't you be hunting for the one responsible for this?'

'My Lady, we have no idea who did this.' The merman beside her answered up. Their tridents already returned to pointing in a safer direction.

'Of course you don't...' she replied haughtily, still having no idea where she was going with her story, but certain that if she sounded confident she would not be questioned. 'Now, I have order to bring about so leave me be and tend to all you find seriously injured.' She waved them off dispassionately.

'But General, shouldn't you head to the infirmary?' another mermaid asked.

'Worry yourself with your duties and leave me be. That's an order, _soldier_.'

With that, she practically tore her hood back on and grabbed her trident, unmindful of the eyes following every beat of her tail as she proceeded to search for her missing bag.

_Kelp kelp kelp kelp _her mind raced, it was all messed up –royally screwed. She was supposed to leave unnoticed and therefore have no concerns about leaving any leads as to her whereabouts. _Okay, Bulma –it's not the end yet. There's still a chance to get out before anyone notices. If only I can find my stupid ba –Oh, there it is_…

Her bag's strap was broken, it looked a bit worse for wear but ultimately it still held her belongings securely. The gates were obviously locked when she reached them, but as she predicted, thankfully unguarded and she managed to get out without notice, leaving only a broken gate as her last legacy to the place of her birth.

Bulma counted carefully every other tunnel she passed before turning off as the map indicated. In the wild, it was almost impossible to differentiate one tunnel-branch from the other. Now and again, she spotted signs that indicated a rural village was probably located nearby –a mounted shark's skull for example. Those areas she too gave a wide berth. After what seemed like ages of swimming Bulma decided that it was time for a rest and found herself a hole, small and deep enough, to offer adequate shelter from predators and enemies alike. She sheathed her trident and placed it in the hollow, along with the broken bag she was still holding in her other hand, then settled in a comfortable heap and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Bulma shifted uncomfortably in her armor, trying to relieve the itch beneath her breastplate. Her chest scales were acting up again and her hands were tied tightly behind her back. She had been captured by Mer-eel bandits not so long ago, and they put her in a cage as soon as they reached their camp site. She had been waiting ages now for their leader to return. The 'Boss' was off 'bartering' her bounty-price with some high ranking individual in the Mer-eel authorities. The bastard took her trident along too and left her with his kelp-for-brains lackeys to deal with. Bulma sighed tiredly and awkwardly tried to relieve some of the itchiness she had in her… everywhere by rubbing against the cage-bars. The miserable worms didn't even have the common courtesy to provide her with a school of cleaner-fish. She hadn't had the opportunity to cleanse herself since she left her city, and school of Blue-steak wrasses* were easily and cheaply acquired. Really, she wasn't asking for much. Sadly, the only blue streak exchanged between captors and hostage ended up being the indignant cussing of the feisty mermaid-warrior when her humble request was flat out denied...

*FLASBACK*

The Blue-haired mermaid princess found herself being rudely awakened by a sharp pain in the bottom of a tail. Before she had time to investigate she felt herself suddenly being yanked out of her hollow and made a desperate grab for her sheathed weapon; only to feel it slip helplessly through her fingers. She emerged then, pulled tail first, and the unarmed but never defenceless mermaid immediately twisted in the grasp of her assailant and socked him a good one, smiling in satisfaction when she felt something crunch under her fist. The stunned merman let go of her tail and Bulma, after noting that she was outnumbered, used the moment to dive back into the hollow that held her things, but her attempt was cut short by another pair of arms grabbing her own and twisting it into a painful lock-hold behind her back, and she suddenly found herself pressed face-first into the rock-surface.

'Woah, there missy…' her attacker tauntingly commanded.

'Let go of me!' was her demanding reply while she struggled in her attacker's grasp. 'Let go of me you creep!' A painful jolt suddenly entered her body, travelling from the top of her arms to her tail, followed by an exhausting numbness and she bit down hard to keep from crying out. She finally knew who she was dealing with –the attack she felt could only be used by one species of Merfolk: an Eelian. From her side she heard a groan, followed by the telepathic

'I think the squirmy little she-worm broke my nose!'

'I know,' the person behind her replied in an amused fashion, 'feisty little thing, isn't she? Pretty as an Angelfish too…'

'What are we gonna do with her, Boss?' another one jumped into the conversation.

'She's wearing armor. She might be dangerous.' Yet another one added. All mental connections were cut as this _Boss_ person seemed to contemplate his next move.

'She seemed awfully frantic to reach that cave, Boys… Sharkbate, go check it out' Bulma jerked lightly in her captor's hold, another wily scheme already taking form in her brilliant mind.' The lackey called Shakbate's luminescence caught her peripheral view briefly as he entered her cave and again when he exited a few moments later.

'Well well –it seems our catch of the day is a soldier after all.' The Boss's remark was followed by amused titters all around. She presumed they were referring to her trident.

'Awe, Boss –she's too gorgeous to be a soldier. Look at those blue locks –you don't find hair like that in every cave.' This comment was followed by the sensation of a tugging on her hair. With her plan now fully formed, Bulma could do nothing but bite back the spiteful reply her pride would have caused her to express. With a sudden sense of spinning Bulma found herself with her back pinned to the wall and staring into the ice-blue bulging eyes of her Mer-eel captor. She had to restrain herself from recoiling when seeing the wide serpent-like jaw and two sharp, needle-like fangs protruding from the small, pouty lips of the merman before her.

'What's a pretty little Mer-mammal doing so far away from her home-turf?' He asked snidely, 'deserter?'

'Wouldn't you like to know' she taunted.

'Hey, Boss –there's some pretty interrestin' junk here in her bag…'

One by one, her stolen weapons were being pulled from her bag. Her purse of money was immediately pocketed, which confirmed her suspicions that she was probably dealing with bandits. The priestly robe was received with many a furrowed brow and the jewelled breast-cover seemed to evoke even more confusion. She was suddenly infinitely glad that her map was stashed in her armor breastplate.

'Tell me, Mammalian, just where did you get your hands on all these… unusual things.'

'Stole them…' was her detached reply, he cocked an interested eyebrow.

'So what are you then? Deserting soldier, wayward priestess or common thief?'

When she kept silent, his frustrated sneer was the only warning she had before his claws dug into her arms and he released another spell of paralysing electricity. Again, Bulma had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out. After the torture proved in vain, the leader simply sniffed and pulled at her unresponsive form. Another merman appeared at her side, grabbing on to her other arm and started dragging her along.

'No matter' the Boss finally said, 'we'll find out who you are soon enough. I recall that a rainbow-tail like yours indicates that you're someone important, right? I bet whoever you're swimming away from would pay dearly to have you back… and so would the Eelian government.'

'You're taking me into Eel-turf then?' she tried not to sound too hopeful. He stopped, turning to regard her with a perplexed frown, their gazes locked and after a moment his silver-blue eyes suddenly became guarded. He wasn't dumb, and he realized, perhaps too late, that she wasn't to be taken lightly either. The hand that gripped her arm tightened momentarily.

'See to it that this one does not get a within a tail of that trident.' He barked out harshly. His tone warranted no questions. The majority of the journey onwards, proceeded in tense silence.

*END FLASHBACK*

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but Bulma was again rudely awakened; this time by a jolt of Mer-eel electricity pulsing through the specially crafted metal of her cage. Her extensively colourful sentiments could be picked up tails away and the bandit leader was once again the perpetrator. He was grinning like a maniac at her displeasure, his needle-like fangs glinting ominously. She would get him, she swore, and knock those pointy little teeth right out of his mouth. All of them –once she got out of this Neptune-forsaken cage she'd tail-whip all of them so hard they'd short out for a week or she wasn't Bulma the Bull shark.

Right now, though, she needed them to safely 'escort' her through Eelian territory. Bulma's plan for eventual escape was dependant on the hope that the Eelian Merfolk valued tradition to the extent that she'd be able to drift out of their territory through the Redemption's Pass relatively unscathed. It was her only chance at escaping alive.

'Time to go' the Boss said, ignoring her death-glare.

'Where's my trident, Boss-man?' she sneered.

'It's safe.'

'It better be!'

'Or what, little Mammalian?'

'Let me out of this cage and I'll show you what, you boggle-eyed maggot!'

His only reply was an amused chuckle. 'You, know, if your new owner didn't just pay me three-hundred in gold, I would have argued that you're not the 'all that' you think you are… but since I'm a smart fish and can acknowledge your buyer's eminence, I'd say it is best if we keep those chains on for the remainder of our journey together, ey? …on second thought…'

Bulma could do nothing but float helplessly as he reached for the back of her neck, the electric strike was felt only momentarily before the world around her went black again.

* * *

'Ah, the notorious General Bull Shark –how nice to see you again...' her procurer drawled as soon as she floated through, what seemed to be, his office doors. The bandit leader was at her back, with her tied hands still firmly in his grip. The Mer-eel at thought was sitting atop a elaborate work-desk, twirling HER trident on the tips of his fingers. His eel-like lower half swaying lazily to and fro. He then reached behind him and brought out a little bag, which he tossed over and it floated neatly into her captor's hands. It jingled slightly, indicating that it probably contained money.

The new Mer-eel 's tail was all black and vertically striped with silver streaks that pulsed with light at a low frequency, an indication that he was relaxed. She recognized him as easily as he did her: Knives –first Lieutenant to the Eelian Prince himself. The same Lieutenant that she all but impaled on the very trident he was twirling so nonchalantly.

'Knives,' she answered with the same falsely pleasant tone in which he spoke, 'I thought you dead.'

He frowned at the implied taunt, the pulsing of his tail-stripes sped up slightly as he rose from his unconventional seat.

'As you can see, General, I am very much alive.' He replied in a now dark tone. As he approached her she noticed a very pronounced three-fold scar on his chest and mentally sighed. Again, things were not going to go as smooth as she planned. 'Unfortunately for you,' he continued and started swimming in a circle around her –the arc of his tail sizzling with electricity as it coiled around her, 'you won't be able to say the same in a moment or two.'

_Fantastic… First a greedy eel, now a vengeful one._

Refusing to be intimidated by his threat and the electricity sparking within inches of her Mammalian Body, Bulma kept her cool expression as she casually replied:

'So... you pay a fortune to obtain me, and then simply kill me?'

He stopped, and Bulma watched him as he seemingly considered her words for a moment, only to shrug untroubled and continue his 'circle of death'.

'For the privilege to kill you myself –the infamous Mammalian Royal turned Warrior Elite; the one said to be strongest in all of Mer-realm... why, I consider it a fortune well spent.'

'Typical,' Bulma sneered. Her fate was really seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. This was a fish that wanted her dead, so appealing to reason was out of the question, thus she moved on to her next target: his pride 'You Eelians are all the same –cowards, through and through. Any Mer could kill restrained prey... I don't blame you, though. You would never be able to take me otherwise –that nasty little scar on your chest proves it.' She chucked dryly, 'Kelp, even this son of a she-worm behind me has more of a spine than you do, Knives…'

With an enraged roar he suddenly thrust at her with the trident. Bulma considered dodging the strike, before disregarding the instinct. She kept her gaze defiantly locked with his as he moved to spear her with her own weapon… The blades stopped just before it pierced the skin of her exposed throat and Bulma didn't know whether to sigh in relief or grin in triumph as her gamble proved spot on.

'Curse you, you Mammalian scum! I am no coward!' He snarled, lowering the pointy weapon, a seemingly painful decision by the looks of it.

'Honorless then… what warrior worth his salt would not choose to face his opponent at their full strength?'

'I have honor, Mammal!' He swam in circles then, presumably contemplating his next move.

'Prove it then, Lieutenant. Permit me to go on my way to the Redemption's Pass.'

In his surprise, he stopped mid loop, dropping her trident and spun to stare at her –his already bulging eyes growing wide enough to nearly pop from his skull. After a moment they narrowed again suspiciously, and he continued his circling –this time again around the Mammalian princess.

'What's your game, Mermaid?' he asked, skepticism clearly evident from his thoughts.

'No game, Knives. I simply wish to reach The Reef.'

He chuckled humorlessly 'Is that right? Pray tell Bull Shark –why would I pay a fortune acquiring you, only to let you go off to commit ritual suicide? Don't think I do not know what you are doing –I will not be fooled into helping you escape. You're dying by my hands, General.'

'I'm serious Knives. Why the Kelp else would I be floating in your office right this moment. Granted, I wish it weren't you –a lower ranking court official would also have sufficed… Say Boss-man,' she turned her head to regard the bandit leader, still floating awkwardly in the corner of the room –'you sure do have friends in shallow places…'

'What nonsense are you thinking, Bull Shark –you're here because you had your pathetic tail captured by bandit-scum.'

Now it was Bulma's turn to laugh, 'You think I couldn't have gotten out when I wanted? Those 'bandit-scum' are lucky that I have such impeccable self-restraint or they would have been Shark-chum ages ago… Bull Shark chum.' With this she turned to face the lonely bandit again, giving him a particularly predatory grin. 'I simply hitched a ride with the fiends –avoiding unnecessary harassment from territorial commoners of your race… I'd say I made good time getting here.'

From the corner of her eyes she saw the aforementioned bandit attempting to slip out the door and acted with a swiftness that had left both Eelians in the room reeling. With one quick sweep she broke her bonds and grabbed her trident, firing a blast at the escaping bandit that intentionally missed him by a hairs breath, then spinning to apprehend the Eelian Lieutenant. By the time the guards came bursting through the door, she already had their commander in a compromising position. Her trident spears resting neatly under his chin. He coiled his tail around her and attempted electrocuting her, but the prepared warrior drew the energy with her trident until it glowed searing white with power.

'Tell them to back off or you'll find yourself very headless very soon, Knives.' She said, referring to the surrounding guards. When he did so, she cheekily added – 'Oh, and do send someone to retrieve that escaping worm of a bandit… I have a score to settle –I'm sure you understand,' – looking pointedly at the three scars she left on him in their past battle. Growling, he grudgingly acquiesced.

'Now,' Bulma started after the departure of the guard, 'I don't have any particular sushi with you, Knives, and what happened in the past –that was just war; no need to get your tail in a twist about it –we all have our fair share of battle scars and near death experiences so there's really no need to take it personally.' She reasoned, unperturbed about the nervous commander's frequent attempts at electrocuting her. 'You said you're a fish of honour, and If I'm not mistaken it is Eelian custom to admit anyone the opportunity to attempt the Redemption's Pass. According to your history it was a right of passage, even, for brave young Mermen to travel it and bring back a White Death's hide…'

'What of it, Bull Shark? That was before the sacred Reef was discovered. It is now constituted as an execution procedure for death row criminals and the way to eternal servitude to the realm Guardian… practically a euphemism for suicide'

'I'm not planning on dying, Lieutenant.'

'You're not planning on turning priestly and serving the Guardian Dragon, either… you have too much of a warrior's spirit for that… I ask again, what business to you have in the sacred shallows of the Reef, Bulma?'

'My business is my own, Eel –and you are obligated by the blood that flows in your body and those of your race, to admit me on that pass.'

'I'm obligated nothing –Mammal.'

'Then I might as well kill you now and your pathetic little entourage too and plead my case on death row. You know I can do it…'

It was silent as he contemplated her statement.

Unsurprisingly, Bulma found herself being cordially escorted on her merry way to the seemingly suicidal Redemtion's Pass… Well, after she made good on her promise to sock Mister Bandit Boss-man one good –leaving him permanently fangless. (The offences of his brainless lackeys would be overlooked) Her request to leave was even cleared by the Eelian prince himself –the gullible oaf. It is common knowledge that Eelian Royalty makes none of their own decisions, and rule on the whim of their advisers –much like Bulma's own monarchy. Apparently, the Mammalian Warrior's presence in their domain made the Mer-eels very nervous, and they would rather free her than kill her and risk the wrath of the Mammalians, who were at current the dominant society in the Mer-realm. They were only too happy that she was voluntarily choosing the path from which no one returns; and the little compromise they made with her –allowing her to enter the pass fully armed, which apparently is against the law –was only a minor in light of the fact that she would be out of their hair for good.

While travelling through their city, Bulma had a hard time managing the mild case of claustrophobia she felt. Unlike her Mer-race, who preferred large caverns and wide tunnels, the Eelians seem to prefer narrow spaces, so most of their passageways were uncomfortably tight. Thus when she finally reached her exit – the large, creepy and dark abyss that proved to be the Redemption's Pass suddenly seemed almost welcoming – almost...

About half-way through, though, Bulma was ready to turn tail and swim back home, the mermaid had needed to contend with jagged edges, unstable spires, lurking creepy-crawlies trying to sink their teeth into her and a series of even tighter squeezes than the thoroughfares in the Eelian domain. Needless to say, when she finally reached the passage that would take her straight into the shark infested hollow, she had so many cuts and abrasions she might as well have been swimming in with a pulsing 'Eat-me' sign over her head. _Small wonder the path was considered suicide_, Bulma thought.

Bulma considered the last tunnel she would have to squeeze through to reach her next destination – it had more unstable looking spires hanging from its ceiling – already she could make out what seemed the impaled skeletal remains of a previous traveler near the entrance. It was not the first corpse she encountered on her 'journey for redemption'. It also had jagged-edged ridges all around the passage walls. The most dangerous element of the tunnel though, was the current swirling through it, sucking everything that entered it right through.

Since the Blue-haired mermaid was not planning on becoming fish-paté anytime soon, she took the only other logical course to avoid getting blended –she blasted her way through.

It took quite some time, because the she had to split her concentration between smoothing out the rough edges of the tunnel walls with a steady stream of spiraling energy, _and_ keeping herself from being pulled in by the current herself. She ended up having to take a few rest periods and after she was satisfied that the tunnel no longer functioned as a shredder, she found herself a nice comfortable –creepy-crawliless – hole, and bedded down for the time being.

When she awoke her wounds were half-healed, but not completely clean. Bulma decided then to make her first priority finding a school of cleaner fishes. Sharks always had some form of cleansing organisms in close proximity, so she figured it would be an easy deal to steal some of their hygiene services –staying a reasonable distance away from their jaws –of course. Not to misunderstand, Bulma was by no means afraid of sharks; she has had quite a few life-threatening encounters with them in her past adventures as an upstart young soldier on Gate-guard duty. She knew how to hold her own, but not even the most experienced warriors can be saved when caught in the middle of a feeding frenzy… Personal experience has taught her at least that much. So, it was with the greatest of trepidation that she finally proceeded. She used her left hand to steady her course through; her right hand was stretched out before her and held firmly onto her sheathed trident's staff; she winced when she felt her skin and scales drag painfully over a rough edge that couldn't be completely flattened. Fortunately, no skin was broken.

The Shark's Den was a large cavern and its walls were much like the passage into it was–decorated with many a flesh-slicing edge. It kind of reminded Bulma of shark teeth, like she was literally swimming into the mouth of a shark; and despite the danger of it, Bulma could not help but find the carvern beautiful and very fitting. She also could not help but feel a bit disappointed when the only sharks she could see were a few white-tips and one hammerhead meandering about. Where were the big players, she wondered : the Bulls, the Tigers and the Great Whites?

The warrior-princess definitely wasn't lamenting for long, for the next instant deadly jaws were coming right at her at an almost break-neck speed. She dodged the Mako Shark just in time –one of the fastest breeds in the ocean and before it had the opportunity to go for another bite, whacked it over its gills with the staff of her trident. It quickly got the message: Bulma was no snack –she was a predator like they were –a Bull Shark even, and the lesser predator needed to learn its place. The warrior-princess didn't know much about the mental abilities of sharks, but the little scuffle seemed to impress on the other inhabitants that she was not one to be trifled with, except one juvenile Great White. That one was dealt with much the same as the Mako and it darted off quickly too. The cavern was vast, and thus Bulma had to find a relatively safe space to float and study her map. While she considered her course, she felt a little caress in her tail and looked down to see a common cleaner wrasse pecking at her. Soon their were three and Bulma was enjoying her first cleanse in days. It felt good, and the mermaid was tempted to remove her armor so they can get to her irritated chest. Deciding against risking the vulnerability in shark infested waters, she went without the upper-body clean.

Great Whites and Tiger Sharks started appearing more often the further into the cavern she got, so she did manage to find the big boys after all. She could also feel the drag on the water lightening, meaning she was entering shallower waters.

It was a tedious task finding the entrance to the Reef. The main reason was that the truce with sharks seemed to have lasted only a limited time and she found herself dodging more and more investigative bites. Luckily for the mermaid, she could swim much faster with the reduced gravity of shallow waters and had an easier time dodging the snapping jaws. One Tiger Shark was quite relentless though, it kept trying to eat her with an alternating attack-retreat technique, always returning no matter how many times she whacked it (without drawing blood, of course). Another trial was the fact that the entrance was hidden. According to her map's description, it was a little passage located in the middle of four spires arranged in a diamond shape. This arrangement was unique to a specific grotto and when she found it, the mermaid almost did an about-face when she realized this entrance was located in what seemed to be Great White breeding waters.

The persistent Tiger Shark stopped following her as soon as she entered White Death's waters and she couldn't help but note that there is something to be said about the intellect of these predators. She had quite a tough time fending off territorial three to four tail-long males, but she managed to clear a big-enough area around the small entrance to risk swimming through. Bulma thus made her way, head first into the hollow. She placed her bag in first and attempted to wiggle through next. Only slightly confident about the protection the surrounding spires afforded her. She had barely managed to squeeze her chest into the entrance, left arm and shoulder stretching in to pull her body through, right, trident-wielding arm outside, when she felt a core-rocking ram come from underneath her and hit her square in her stomach and upper-tail. The mermaid was then roughly jerked from the hole and pulled right back into the red-tinged waters of the Great White's grotto.

She felt no pain, just winded shock. Her right arm hung lamely on the snout of the Great White that had its teeth embedded into her tail and midriff, and her trident was slowly sinking to the floor of the cavern. And in that moment the warrior was at a total loss about what to do. Her bio-light shone far enough to reveal that the water around her was fast turning from red-tinged to an opaque crimson, but Bulma found herself looking intently into the black hole in front of her.

Completely paralyzed.

For a moment there was nothing but the black eye of her predator, so empty, yet almost taunting, and then it was over. It thrashed, and with it came the pain of being slowly ripped apart. Bulma was suddenly snapped out of her stunned stupor and started to struggle. In a desperate endeavor to survive, even though the odds were fast dwindling, Bulma stuck both her hands into the mouth of the shark: one on the bottom, one on the top and attempted to pry it open with her superior strength –which was dwindling as fast as her odds. Uncaring of the teeth slicing though her hands, the mermaid pushed. In the blurry red water, the mermaid noted the lurking shadows of those also looking for a bite of the action and let out a distressed cry. Pushing with all of her strength, Bulma felt the teeth dislodge from her scales, and wasted no time on relief. She was out with flick of her tail, bumping into another open-mouthed White Shark in her frenzied escape attempt– and this time, the rows of razor-edged teeth were heading straight for her head. With another anguished cry the Blue-haired mermaid twisted her punctured tail swiftly and smacked shark under its jaw, blocking out the pain of her tearing wounds. Then dove in the direction her trident fell, slamming into on of the sharp-edged rock-pile in her haste. Bulma checked behind her briefly, seeing nothing but a red haze. Once on the grotto floor, the warrior-mermaid attempted to regain her focus, since one cannot perform complex energy techniques in a panic. It didn't take long for her to recall the skill, Bulma watched the floor intently for her trident; and when it suddenly lit up with her energy she wasted no time diving for it.

**A.N: Welp –there it is. I know, I know –I'm mean. This chapter was meant to cover all the time missed from Bulma's escape to her eventual emergence: on land - with Vegeta! But it got too long so I cut part of it off. (Don't spear me!) There's still lots of exciting things that still has to happen SPOILER WARNING A deeper look into that silly old prophesy, the Reef, the Guardian Dragon.. all that jazz. Vegeta's also making an appearance next chapter. YAY! Hopefully y'all won't have to wait another month.. no promises though –I have a lot on my plate –test series are starting soon.**

**Oh oh:**

***Bluestreak wrasses are a type of oceanic cleaner fish that pick parasites and other grimy things out of the scales of other fish -and eels -and stuff. I thought: Mermaids can't really bathe so I brought this little detail in. Also, another fun fact: these cleaners cleansing technique feels like a soft calming caress, that's why they get along so well with what may have otherwise been their predators. **


End file.
